Report: One-third of high school graduates not ready for college

Many colleges cater to those remedial education

When it comes to secondary education, Massachusetts leads the nation in reading and math tests. That's in spite of the fact that many students graduate from high school unprepared for college-level work.

Community colleges in particular are facing a large population of students that need remedial work. The Massachusetts secretary of education said that's failing students and their futures.

Cedrick Juarez is in his first year at Mass Bay Community College. He hopes to become a nurse. But right now, he's struggling with reading and writing.

"Mostly my courses require a lot of reading every night, and if I'm not at a good reading level, I'll be failing all my classes," said Juarez.

So Juarez is taking remedial English. The college required him to take it because he tested low on reading and writing skills.

"I think everyone figures when it comes to college you have to be ready. But some people need more time than others," said Juarez.

The state's Executive Office of Education found one-third of students who enroll in the state's public colleges and universities are not prepared for college-level work. Sixty-five percent of community college students take at least one remedial class. The state's secretary of education called that disturbing.

"We have a large number of students who are passing both local graduation requirements and the MCAS, and they are going into higher education not ready to do college level work without remedial assistance," said Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville.

The blame can't be easily placed. More high school graduates than ever, three- quarters by some estimates, plan to go to college. But educators say not enough students receive a rigorous curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade. On the table is the possibility of raising the bar on achievement tests like MCAS.

"Proficiency on those tests does correlate with college success. So we are going to have to find a way to increase the standard of expectation," said Reville.

Community colleges are where many students go to catch up. At Mass Bay Community college, 45 percent of students tested for remedial course work were placed in developmental math. Sixty-two percent were placed in developmental English.

"The more we can as colleges work with high school faculty to come to a common understanding of what it means to be college ready, the better. Students moving through their high school years should be taking good, strong courses that require them to write and to read and to really engage in their work," said Francesca Purcell, Mass Bay Community College Provost.

In 2018 the state projects 70 percent of jobs will require some form of higher education -- either a certificate, an associates degree, a bachelors degree or beyond. Reville said it's essential students be prepared for highly skilled work.